Two Hearts, One World
by SoraLover1994
Summary: Manami Hikari, just an ordinary 14 year old girl... Wanting to be a powerful warrior, hating her little brother Takeshi, and falling in love. She learns of her father's past as a warrior. But what happens when she's taken from her home of Destiny Islands?
1. Chapter 1

Two Hearts, One World

_**Chapter 1**_

It was a Friday. A young girl with long brown hair and ocean blue eyes wearing a white blouse, a tie as well as a small silver necklace with a heart around her neck, and a plaid skirt walked home from Destiny Islands High School one night, heading for home.

Rain stung her face as she headed for home alone. Sure, it was raining, but she didn't care at all if she got wet. She loved being out in the rain. She was tired and angered, for she had received detention for the fifteenth time this school year and was forced to stay after school once again. She had gotten into a fight with another girl over a boy and the principal had caught her, forcing her to attend another session of detention while the opposing girl was set free.

Her parents would be furious the moment that she walked through the front door, knowing that she had probably caused more trouble at school.

She opened the front door and closed it behind her. She looked over to her right and saw a young boy with spiky red hair and blue eyes sitting on the floor, watching television and laughing up a storm from the violent shows.

"Hey there, Manami." The boy said.

"Dad come home yet?" The girl asked, walking right past the boy on the floor.

"Not yet. Mommy just told me that he should be coming home pretty soon. Where were you? Mom was getting really worried, thinking that you could've been kidnapped." The boy said to the elder girl.

"Oh, shut up, Takeshi. You know very well why I came so late. Detention again." Manami said angrily, throwing her backpack to the ground and storming upstairs.

"Aw c'mon, it can't be that bad!" Takeshi said.

"Takeshi, you're only six years old and still in elementary school. I'm fourteen and I'm just starting my freshman year of high school."

"Means nothing to me!" Takeshi said.

"Basically… YOU HAVEN'T HAD ANY DETENTION COURSES YET! You receive them until when you go to Destiny High like I do." Manami exclaimed angrily.

"MANAMI ERI HIKARI! GET YOUR BUTT IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW!" An angered woman called out to her.

"Ooh, mom's mad... Good luck up there, sis. I'm gonna miss ya after mom kills you. Can I have your bedroom?" Takeshi said, putting a hand on Manami's shoulder.

"NO WAY!" Manami said angrily. "Besides… I'm not going anywhere for another few years, got it munchkin?"

"Sure, whatever. I'll be watching Inuyasha if you need me, alright?" Takeshi said.

"Sure thing." Manami said, walking upstairs.

Takeshi Hikari, Manami's faithful little brother and aide to her, was most like their mother in many ways. For starters, he was very cheerful and rarely ever got mad at anyone, and when he did, his anger faded quickly. He never really got into trouble either, because his teachers saw him as an innocent six year old. Manami hated that about him.

Manami Hikari, on the other hand, was the _**complete **_opposite of her little brother Takeshi. At only fourteen years old, she was mostly like her father, in appearance and in personality. She got angry easily and did anything to stand up for the ones that she loved. She also wanted to be an all powerful warrior one day, which was why she took her anger out on people that insulted her or just plain made her mad.

--

Manami sighed heavily and then opened the door to her mother's room. "Yes?" Manami said, slightly annoyed. She walked into the room to face a woman with long red hair and blue eyes. She looked furious as she stared over at her daughter.

"Take a seat." Manami sat down nervously on her mother's bed, remaining silent. "I just got a call from your school principal, and he said to me that you've gotten detention once again. What did you do this time?"

"Uh..." Manami began to say. The woman stared at her daughter with angered eyes. Manami gulped and sighed. "Okay... I... Got into a little fight with this girl Kaede, but it was for a good reason this time, I swear!"

"And the reason?" The woman asked.

"She was flirting with this boy named-!" Manami began.

"No excuses on boys this time, Manami! This is the fifteenth time you've gotten detention marks this school year! And school just started two months ago! This strange behavior of yours has to stop and I mean now." The woman said.

"But mom, it wasn't even my fault!" Manami exclaimed angrily.

"That's enough. Leave, please." The woman said. Manami was about to reply to this comment, but then she just left the room, slamming the door behind her as she left. "AND DON'T SLAM MY DOOR!"

"Whatever..." Manami muttered to herself as she walked back downstairs. When she had arrived there, she saw Takeshi asleep on the floor with the television still turned on the show Inuyasha. She sat down on the couch, sighing. "Oh well... Might as well get my mind off of what mother said to me."

--

A few moments later, Manami heard the door open and there stood a man with spiky brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a suit and a raincoat. She glanced back at him and then smiled when she saw who it was.

"Didn't think it would rain THAT hard tonight... Sora Hikari, you are one brave man..." The man said to himself, removing his wet jacket and hanging it up in a closet.

"Daddy!" Manami exclaimed happily, leaping off of the couch she sat on. Sora glanced over and saw his daughter running towards her. He smiled at her and then lifted her off the ground, hugging her.

"Hey! How's my favorite little girl doing today?" Sora said happily.

"Uh... Don't wanna talk about it." Manami replied.

"You got in trouble again today, didn't you, Manami?" Sora said, not exactly surprised if she said yes. Manami looked into her father's eyes and nodded. Sora set her back on the ground and giggled. "What for this time?"

"I got into a fight..." Manami said, looking at the ground.

"Oh, I see... Was your mom mad at you for hearing this kind of thing happening again?" Sora asked, kneeling beside the young girl.

"Yes sir... But I don't blame her for being angry. This is the fifteenth time I've gotten detention in two months!" Manami said.

"Well, I'm not mad at you. I used to get into a lot of trouble in my first year of high school too, to tell you the truth." Sora whispered.

"No way! You?" Manami said, giggling. "I find that hard to believe."

"Yep." Sora replied.

"Wow..." Manami said, her eyes lighting up.

"Sora, don't encourage her to be bad like you were!" The two heard a female's voice call out. Sora turned his head slightly and saw his wife.

"I'm not encouraging her to be bad, Kairi. I'm just telling her that she's not the only one who went through a lot of trouble in freshman year of high school." Sora said, standing up. He walked towards Kairi and whispered to her. "Mainly because of those reasons I will not mention to Manami or Takeshi right now. I missed my freshman year."

"That reminds me. You missed the first year of high school. Which I'm still really mad that you and Riku left me here for that one reason." Kairi whispered back.

"I WAS ASLEEP!" Sora exclaimed angrily, still whispering.

"Pfft... Excuses, excuses..." Kairi said angrily.

"If anyone needs me, I'll be upset in my room..." Manami said.

"Manami, can you do me a favor right quick? Can you take Takeshi upstairs and put him to bed, please?" Kairi asked.

"Sure thing, mom." Manami said, walking over to Takeshi's sleeping body on the floor and taking him upstairs with her.

Sora and Kairi continued to argue about how he had left her on the island for a year, and Manami watched in spirit as Kairi walked out of the room, possibly a little angered at her husband.

"IT WAS IN THE PAST, KAIRI! Let it go already!" Sora called out.

"So what? I won't let go of my precious memories!" Kairi called back.

"Kairi!" Sora called back, running after her. Kairi let out a heavy sighs and then walked into the kitchen, Sora following. Manami sighed heavily at this scene and then walked upstairs, Takeshi still in her arms.

"I can't believe this is happening..." Manami whispered to herself.

It was nearly one in the morning. Manami sat in her bed, dressed in her pink pajamas, about to go to sleep for the evening. Something that burned in her mind kept her awake, and she didn't want to sleep until she got answers.

"I wonder why mom and dad were arguing about the past earlier... What did they even mean by the past? I wonder if something happened." Manami asked herself.

"Mommy and daddy had a dark past, Manami." A small voice called. Manami turned to see Takeshi standing in the doorway, a blanket in his hands.

"Bad dream?" Manami asked.

"No. Not this time." Takeshi said.

"Then what happened? You're usually always asleep around this time." Manami asked her young brother.

"I was asleep and when I woke up, heard mommy and daddy talking downstairs. I went to see what they were talking about and... They were talking of the past and what had happened many years before we came along." Takeshi said.

"Are they still talking?" Manami asked.

"Yeah." Takeshi replied.

"Good. I kinda wanna eavesdrop on some of this conversation that they're having." Manami said, walking out of her room. "Are you coming?"

"Mhm!" Takeshi said, running after Manami.

--

Manami and Takeshi sat down at the very top of the stairs, listening in on what their parents were really talking about.

"Alright... We're in the clear now. So, keep quiet and don't screw things up, Takeshi." Manami warned Takeshi.

"But... Don't you think now is a good time to tell them about the past too, Kairi?" Sora asked Kairi. Kairi sighed heavily.

"I don't think it's the right time yet, Sora. I mean, Manami just started high school and Takeshi is still just a child." Kairi replied.

"But, Kairi, if we don't warn them of what happened in our past, then it could affect what could happen to the future." Sora said.

"What could happen in our future? Like what?" Takeshi asked Manami.

"I dunno. I really don't." Manami replied.

"Should you tell them about yours first, or should I? They have to know both sides to the story either way it goes." Kairi asked.

"I wanna know this story so bad." Manami said.

"We need to know what's been going on." Takeshi said.

"I just wanna know why they're always talking about the past. Ever since I started high school two months ago, they've been doing that sort of thing." Manami said.

"Me too, sister. Mommy and daddy have been hiding things from us ever since we were younger, and it's high time we found exactly what it was." Takeshi told Manami.

"Exactly." Manami replied.

"This story of theirs oughta be a little interesting." Takeshi said.

"No way. Stories of the past that people tell are always BORING! There's no way mom and dad are gonna make the story they wanna tell us any more interesting. All stories of the past stink..." Manami said.

"Don't say that about the stories that could change the future, sister. They all have a meaning to them." Takeshi said.

"Hmph. Yeah, that's right, little brother. And the meaning would be to bore us." Manami said, staring back down to eavesdrop on her parents.

"No... They predict our future..." Takeshi whispered.

"I say you should tell them first. I mean, your story's not nearly as long as mine. You tell them in the morning, and then I'll explain mine to them later on that evening." Sora replied. Kairi nodded in agreement.

"That we shall. Right after breakfast ends." Kairi replied. The two kissed each other on the lips and Manami only sighed at this.

"Aw crap... That wasn't exactly the type of evidence I was looking for... Well, at least we'll find out what they've been hiding from us tomorrow... What do you think, Takeshi? Do you think-" Manami whispered. Then she glanced over at Takeshi and saw that he was dozing off on her lap.

"Pancakes..." Takeshi muttered in his sleep.

Manami smiled at Takeshi's sleeping form on the floor and then lifted him off the ground, giggling as she did this. Takeshi didn't budge while he was lifted off the floor. "C'mon, little brother. You can sleep in my room. But just for tonight."

"Yes, sister Manami..." Takeshi muttered to her sleepily as the two siblings walked into Manami's room.


	2. Chapter 2

Me: PART TWO OF THIS STORY UP! And I got... One review... From Kanarah J. YAY! A review!

Sora: I thought you told me that you hated that review-

Me: Covers Sora's mouth Through teeth Yes I do, but have you READ the review?!

Sora: Actually, no I haven't read it... What does it say?

Me: Sighs Shows Sora the review

Sora: 00 Why she hasn't been suspended from school yet is a good comment... Hey! And what the heck is wrong with the name I gave her?! It's Japanese for Love Beauty, and it sounds just plain fine to me, got it?!

Me: - Kairi named her, didn't she?

Sora: Uh... May-be. I know I named Takeshi, that's for sure... But who cares? Like the name Manami or not, don't give a f.

Me: 00 Wowza. And this is why the story is rated K+... BTW, READ AND REVIEW OR I'LL HAVE TO BEG! And all reviewers get a Sora cookie! Holds out jar of cookies, smiling - Curse my niceness... Sora cookies...

_**Chapter 2**_

Manami awoke moments before dawn the very next morning. She quickly took off her pink panamas and then changed into a full black ninja attire.

She slowly reached for the sword in her closet, stepping out of her room so that she didn't awaken her sleeping brother on her bed. She slowly tiptoed past her parents' room and then walked downstairs toward the front door.

"It's six A.M. Time for my training with him. I've got precisely three hours before Mom and Dad wake up, so I better move quick.." She whispered as she saw the sun rise from the living room window. She smirked and then left the home.

Sora had suddenly heard a door close from his living room right below him and shot up from his slumber. He stood up from his spot on his bed and drew his Keyblade, terrified by hearing a door close.

"Who's there, what's wrong, what?!" Sora exclaimed angrily. Kairi slowly awoke, hearing her husband's angered voice.

"Sora...? What's the matter..?" Kairi muttered, sitting up.

"I just heard the door close from downstairs, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't the wind that did it." Sora said angrily.

"Are you sure?" Kairi asked.

"It's a warrior's instinct, Kairi. I know that wasn't the wind that shut the door... Someone just tried to come into our house... Or try to leave from the house. I really don't know which one they did." Sora said, looking around the room with a look of determination on his face.

"Sora..." Kairi whispered.

"I'm gonna go check. You can go check on Takeshi and Manami while I'm downstairs. Call for me if something seems out of place, alright?" Sora said.

"Alright." Kairi said, getting out of bed.

--

Manami walked along the play-island beach, waiting for the one she wanted to show up. The one she had trained with for months.

"Hello there, Manami." Someone called. She turned to see a man with long silver hair and light blue, practically aquamarine eyes, smiling down at her. He was around her age if not about a year older than Manami was.

"Hello, Sitoru." She said, smiling widely. "Ready for another session?"

"That I am." Sitoru said, smirking evilly.

"Alright!" Manami said, drawing her sword. "I won't go easy on you anymore!"

"Bring it." Sitoru simply replied.

"Hey, Sitoru, are you gonna watch the first full moon tonight? My father said that something always happens during a full moon, and I wanna know if he's right or not." Manami said to Sitoru, defending his attacks with her sword.

"Oh yes... Something really interesting should happen tonight." Sitoru said, giggling evilly as he stared over at Manami.

Manami smiled and then continued to fight Sitoru, the two teens having a grand time during their daily training session.

--

Kairi walked into Manami's room, looking around the room. She looked over at Manami's bed and there laid Takeshi. Kairi walked over to Takeshi's sleeping form and gently shook him awake.

"Takeshi! Takeshi, darling, please wake up." She called. Takeshi's blue eyes slowly opened as he stared up as his mother.

"M-Mommy..." Takeshi muttered, sitting up in Manami's bed a little. Kairi picked him up and held her son in her arms. She hugged him tightly.

"I'm so glad you're safe..." Kairi whispered.

"Safe from what?" Takeshi asked nervously.

"Never mind that right now. Where's Manami?" Kairi asked Takeshi.

"I don't know... The last thing that I remember, she told me that I could sleep in her room last night. Then I fell asleep. Where'd daddy?" Takeshi said.

"He heard the front door close and then he went downstairs to see what had happened. Wait, if she's not here... That would mean that Manami was the one that ran off and caused the ruckus downstairs! Sora!" Kairi called, running downstairs, still carrying Takeshi safely in her arms.

Sora looked around the living room cautiously and then saw a small footprint resting on the floor. It was a dirt spot, so he could tell clearly. He stared down at it.

"Manami... This is her footprint." Sora said. "Did she-"

"Sora!" Kairi called again, running into the living room with her husband. Sora stood up and saw Kairi, Takeshi in her arms.

"Did you find anything?" Sora asked.

"Manami's gone missing! She wasn't in her room and Takeshi said that he didn't see her since last night!" Kairi exclaimed.

"What?!" Sora exclaimed. The he grew angry at this statement. His daughter just left without any warning? That was so unlike her... "Wait at home with Takeshi, Kairi! I'll go off and look for Manami! She's bound to be somewhere on the island!"

"Okay." Kairi said. Sora quickly opened the front door and instantly raced towards the one place where he thought that Manami would be.

That would be her favorite place on the Destiny Islands. The Play Islands.

--

Manami sat down in the sand after a long day of training. Sitoru sat down next to her, still gripping his blade tightly. The sun was just about to rise now, and the two teens wanted to watch the scene together.

"This is so beautiful..." Manami said to herself.

"Manami Hikari!!" An angered male's voice called out. Manami easily recognized this voice and jumped up from her spot on the ground. She looked around, and then she saw her father coming closer.

"Oh crap, it's my dad! I'm dead!" Manami exclaimed. She looked over at Sitoru. "He can't see you here! You have to hide!"

"I'm already on it!" Sitoru said, running towards an area that Sora and Kairi called 'The Secret Place'. As soon as Manami had turned away from him, Sitoru suddenly opened a dark black portal. He glanced back. "Heh. Manami, you're a fool to trust me." With that, Sitoru stepped through the dark portal.

"Daddy!" Manami called out to Sora. Sora heard this, ran towards where his daughter was and then she hugged him. "Hi."

"What're you doing here? You know not to be out so early!" Sora said angrily. Then he glanced over at the medium sized sword resting in his daughter's hands. "And... What're you doing with that sword?!"

"Father, I can explain!" Manami shouted. Sora glared down at her and then grabbed her by the hand, pulling her away.

"There's no need for you to explain why you're wielding that sword, Manami! Now, we're gonna go back home and have a long talk about what you've done and why." Sora exclaimed angrily.

"But dad-!" Manami exclaimed.

"No buts!" Sora said angrily. This was one of the first times Sora had ever yelled at Manami like this, but he was a father. He knew when and when not to punish a child.

Manami sat in her father's boat, completely angered at Sora throughout the entire ride. Manami and Sora said nothing to each other during the ride, and this began to worry Sora. Maybe he really _was _too hard on her.

"Hey... I'm really sorry about the way I acted earlier. I didn't mean to make you angry at me. I mean, I know I'm your father, but... I've never been so mad at you before. And I mean what I say." Sora said. Manami sighed.

"Why are you blaming yourself for that, daddy? You're not the one that snuck out of the house, carrying a sword with you along the way." Manami said, rolling her eyes. Sora glanced down and then thought about what Manami was saying.

"Actually..." Sora began. Manami turned around for a second, and then Sora sighed. "Never mind... I can't explain it to you right now. It's not the best time."

"What do you mean?" Manami asked.

"Never mind, I said!" Sora said.

"Aw, c'mon, dad! You can tell me!" Manami said jokefully.

"Later, I promise." Sora said, kissing his daughter on the forehead.

"Alright." Manami giggled a little and then stared up at the sky, smiling widely. Moments later, Sora and Manami arrived on the mainland and she had fallen asleep. Sora smiled at the sight and lifted his daughter out of the boat.

"I wish I could tell you the truth so soon, Manami. But... I don't know what's more terrifying. Me telling you the truth of your mother's, and my past... Or you and Takeshi having to learn about the dangers you two might have to face in the future." Sora said. Manami heard not a word her father said as she slept peacefully in his arms. Sora smiled. "Oh well... I guess we'll just have to find out for ourselves."

Sora walked into his house, where he found Kairi asleep on the living room couch, Takeshi lying right next to her. He could only smile. He walked upstairs and set Manami in her bed, kissing her on the cheek and then closing the door behind him. He then walked back downstairs.

"Daddy..." Takeshi muttered, waking up slightly. Sora walked over to him and put a hand on his head. Takeshi smiled and then went back to sleep. Sora sighed and then sat down on the second couch, dozing off himself.

--

Sitoru arrived from his portal of darkness into a massive realm of emptiness. He walked into a large castle, stepping towards a throne.

"Ah, Sitoru... So you have returned to me, just as you inferred." A woman's voice called out to the young boy. Sitoru glanced up and saw a woman wearing a black robe. "Have you any news to report on the Keyblade master's daughter?"

"Yes, Mistress Maleficent. The girl knows nothing about her father's past life, and there will be a first moon on the islands tonight. I seek this as the perfect opportunity to steal her away and bring her to you." Sitoru said.

"Very good, my child." Maleficent said, smiling evilly. "Once that pathetic girl is out of the way, then the wretched Keyblade holder will have to come running after her. When that happens, he will meet his demise fighting for the girl's life."

"What will happen to the Keyblade master?" Sitoru asked.

"You will know soon enough, my child. Now, prepare yourself for your mission. You've manipulated the young girl, but now is the time for you to finish the job and bring her into this realm."

"Yes, Mistress Maleficent." Sitoru said, leaving the throne room. A spark of evil gleamed in his eyes. Sitoru froze for a moment, and then he thought about if he should really do this to his only friend.

Maleficent took Sitoru away from his home world long ago when he was very young to his wishes, and now he was forced to obey her orders because she had granted his wish. He didn't remember anything about his old home. Not even his family.

--

"Manami! Manami, wake up! It's almost time for the first moon to appear!" Takeshi exclaimed, shaking his sister's sleeping body. Manami slowly opened her eyes, staring over at Takeshi. "Finally!" Manami sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"What do you want...?" Manami muttered.

"It's almost time for the first moon to appear! We got three hours to prepare for tonight's event, so wake up!" Takeshi repeated.

"What?! Already?!" Manami exclaimed, leaping out of bed. She looked over at her clock, which now read six forty five PM. She put her hands on Takeshi's shoulders. "Takeshi! How long was I asleep today?!"

"All day?" Takeshi replied, shrugging. Manami's eye twitched as she stared down at Takeshi. Her grip tightened. "Manami...? You're kinda... Hurting me."

"All day?! Wait a second, where's mom and dad?" Manami asked.

"Downstairs, waiting on me to bring you down there with me. They wanted to talk to us about something before the first moon." Takeshi said, grabbing Manami by the hand and walking downstairs with her.

Manami sat down on the couch in between her parents and then Takeshi sat down next to Kairi, smiling widely.

"Hi!" Manami said.

"Hello sleepyhead." Sora greeted jokefully.

"Have a nice sleep, Manami?" Kairi asked.

"Yes ma'am. It was relaxing." Manami said, smiling widely. "Takeshi told me that you guys had something you wanted to tell us. What was it?"

"It's a long story…" Sora began.

"Like what?" Takeshi asked.

"It all started when your father and I were just a little bit older than Manami, living here on the islands. Your father, our best friend Riku, and I were planning to go see other worlds using a raft. However, the night before we planned to leave, a dark storm began, and we all wanted to know what was going on." Kairi began.

"Riku disappeared using the darkness to leave the islands, and I was left with a mysterious weapon called the Keyblade. When that happened, I came to look for your mother in the Secret Place. I found her, but when I did, she…"

"I lost my heart and my heart ended up within your father's." Kairi finished.

"After that had happened, I vowed to find her and Riku… But I had some help." Sora said, smiling.

"Help from whom, dad?" Takeshi asked.

"I arrived in a world called Traverse Town, and there I met two of my best friends Donald Duck and Goofy. They needed me to help them find their missing king, Mickey. We stood together as a team to fight creatures called the Heartless until I met up with Riku again, only to find out that he had turned to the darkness." Sora said.

"Why did Riku turn to darkness in the first place?" Manami asked.

"Well… Riku the very same reason why I aided Donald and Goofy. I really wanted to find out where Kairi was. Only, he had his own help. A dark witch named Maleficent. Riku nearly killed me, but I overpowered him using my strength of heart." Sora said, smiling. "When I finally did find Kairi in a world called Hollow Bastion, she couldn't wake up because she lost her heart. That's when I found out she was within my own heart, and the only way to save her was to sacrifice myself. And that meant death. I stabbed myself with a Keyblade that unlocked people's hearts and Kairi's heart was restored from there. Then I fell into the darkness."

"How could you do that?!" Manami exclaimed.

"I love Kairi. I would do anything for her, even die…" Sora said.

"When he did die, I was forced to work with Donald and Goofy to escape. As much as I knew I couldn't leave behind my best friends, I knew I had no other options. That was until a Heartless appeared… And I immediately knew it was Sora. More Heartless came after me, and I had to protect him. When I called out his name and grabbed hold of him, everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, I saw him... Hugging me… I had resurrected him and I didn't even know it." Kairi said.

"After that, we all returned to Traverse Town, and I told Kairi that I had to go and look for Riku. She wanted to come, but I told her it was too dangerous for her to go." Sora told them.

"Then I gave Sora my good luck talisman." Kairi said, showing her children a small thalassa shell carved into a star. Manami stared at it with wide eyes.

"You made it out of thalassa shells, didn't you, mom?" Manami asked.

"Yes. And Sora promised that he'd return it to me. And then I said to Sora… 'Don't ever forget. Wherever you go, I'm always with you'. We'd never be far apart… For our hearts were connected." Kairi said.

"Our hearts are connected…" Takeshi whispered.

"All the people that had tied to the Keyblade were connected to my heart too. Mainly because they were all… My friends." Sora said.

"What happened next?" Manami asked.

"Then we were all separated again and Kairi returned here while I went with Donald and Goofy to look for Riku. Along the way, I somehow fell into a deep sleep… Then I woke up a year later in a world called Twilight Town. After that happened and I got more information of what had happened during that year I was gone from a wizard named Yen Sid, I went back to look for Riku…" Sora said. "I fought off the Heartless, the Nobodies, and even a group of Nobodies called Organization XIII."

"What exactly is a Nobody, dad?" Manami asked.

"A Nobody is an empty shell that is left behind when someone with a strong heart and will becomes a Heartless, whether their evil or good." Sora said.

"You just said that you became a Heartless in order to restore mommy's heart. So… Do you have a Nobody too, daddy?" Takeshi asked.

"Yeah, I do. So does your mother. Their names are Roxas and Namine. Roxas is a Keyblade wielder like I am, and Namine is a witch with power over the memories of those aligned with me. They called her the white witch." Sora said.

"Even us?" Takeshi asked.

"Anyone connected to Sora's heart can have their memories altered, Takeshi." Kairi said, smiling. Takeshi's eyes gleamed with curiosity. Manami only rolled her eyes.

_Who'd want to alter memories? As useful as it can be, it just sounds so stupid…_ "Keep going, I wanna hear about more than the white witch." Manami said.

"I went off to look for Sora from the islands when he and Riku didn't come home. And after we all reunited at the World That Never Was, we all came back home together. We even met up with Roxas and Namine to become whole again, but we were separated again. Working together, Sora and Riku bravely fought off the one who separated us, Xemnas, and they came home through the door to light. And Sora fulfilled his promise to return my good luck talisman." Kairi finished.

"Wow. And then you two ended up together and eventually gave birth to me and Takeshi into the family, right?" Manami asked.

"Exactly, my princess." Sora said, kissing Manami on the cheek. Manami smiled widely and then sighed. Sora's smile faded into a frown. "What's wrong?"

"You became the Keyblade master… You were a warrior when you were my age. Does that mean I could end up becoming a warrior too?" Manami asked.

"Hm… I really don't know if you can just like that, Manami. I'm guessing it depends on strength of heart. Riku could wield the Keyblade for a while, but my heart proved to be stronger than his, and I regained the Keyblade from him." Sora said.

"So, courage comes from the heart?" Manami asked.

"Yep. That's all you'll need. That and believing in yourself, as well as what you would fight for if you did fight. You can fight for your life just to live, or you can fight for your friends like I had to… You could even fight just to prove yourself some worth." Sora told Manami. Takeshi smiled and then climbed onto his father's lap.

"Strength of heart matters either way it goes, though. Is that correct, daddy?" Takeshi said, smiling still. Sora nodded, smiling back. Manami turned her head slightly and looked outside of the window, than she gasped.

"Takeshi! It's sunset! We have to go get ready to watch the first moon tonight! C'mon, let's hurry!" Manami said, grabbing her younger brother by the hand. The two ran upstairs and prepared for the occasion.

Me: Like I said earlier, read and review! Hope you enjoyed! And post a review if you have any more comments on the story, like how to make it better!

Sora: Yeah! So, are you gonna-

Me: NO I WILL NOT CHANGE HER NAME! I LOOKED HARD AND FAR FOR A GOOD JAPANESE NAME AND I WILL NOT CHANGE IT NOW!!

Sora: 00 Your choice, my heart.

Me: Smiles REVIEW!!


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

A few moments later, Takeshi and Manami walked downstairs together. Takeshi was carrying his favorite black blanket and Manami was carrying two pillows. She also held in her hands her most cherished item.

Manami held onto a small pink and white teddy bear that her father gave her when she was very little, before Takeshi was born. She named the bear Hikari, for her parents always telling her of how the light was more powerful than the darkness.

"All ready to go?" Kairi asked her two children. Takeshi nodded.

"Yes ma'am." Manami said, holding Hikari close to her.

"Manami, I see you're taking Hikari with you to watch the first moon tonight. Aren't you a little old to keep carrying her around with you?" Kairi asked.

"Hey, you're never too old to keep your precious memories with you, mother." Manami said, smiling up at her mother. Sora stopped reading his newspaper and smiled. Manami walked over to her father and then kissed him on the cheek. "Love you."

"I love you too." Sora said, still smiling.

"We're leaving now, and we'll be back around ten, okay?" Manami said.

"Alright. Have fun. And let me know what happens, alright?" Sora said.

"Yes sir." Manami said, smiling. "C'mon, Takeshi."

"GOOD NIGHT, DESTINY ISLANDS! Bye bye, everyone! I love you all; you've been a great crowd!" Takeshi said, waving to his parents as the two siblings stepped out of the house. Manami put a hand over Takeshi's mouth quickly.

"Will you shut up, baka?! This is our house, not a live television broadcast!" Manami exclaimed. Sora and Kairi giggled and then waved goodbye to Takeshi. Takeshi moved Manami's hand away from his mouth.

"Ha! They waved back to me anyways! I win, you lose again, sister Manami!" Takeshi said joyfully, walking off with a large grin across his face.

"Takeshi is definitely your son." Kairi said to Sora.

"What? My son? He's more your son than mine, Kairi! And he even looks more like you than he does me. How do you explain the fire red hair and ocean blue eyes?" Sora said jokefully.

"Although, he does have your spiky hairstyle and strong-hearted personality." Kairi replied, walking into the kitchen. Sora smiled.

"That's true. Very true." Sora said, continuing to read his newspaper.

--

Manami sat on the play island with Takeshi next to her, staring up at the night sky with wide eyes. Suddenly, she heard the sound of faint footsteps behind her. She quickly got up and turned around to see Sitoru.

"Hello, Manami." Sitoru greeted with a phony smile on his face.

"Hi Sitoru! You came after all!" Manami exclaimed.

"Manami, who's this?" Takeshi asked, staring up at the boy, alerted.

"Oh, this is Sitoru, a good friend of mine. We've been training together for a while now. Sitoru, this is my little brother Takeshi." Manami said.

"Nice to meet you." Sitoru said dryly.

"Same." Takeshi replied in the same dry tone as Sitoru. Manami stared up at the first moon as it began to appear over her.

"It's beautiful…" Manami said. Takeshi turned to stare up at the moon along with his older sister. Sitoru sighed heavily.

_Guess I'll just have to take the boy to Maleficent, too. If I leave him, he might run back and tell his parents about all of this. _"Hear me, my Heartless."

Takeshi turned his head slightly and gasped. He tugged on Manami's shirt. "Manami, Manami! Look!" He pointed to the darkness surrounding Sitoru.

"Sitoru...?" Manami whispered as some Heartless began to appear around Sitoru. "Sitoru! What're you doing?! The darkness is evil, you shouldn't control it!"

"Apprehend them both." Many more shadow Heartless appeared behind Sitoru and walked over to Manami and Takeshi, ready to attack.

--

Sora suddenly gasped, sensing something familiar happening outside of his home. He stood up, throwing his newspaper aside.

"What's wrong?" Kairi called from the kitchen. Sora ran towards there.

"Something's going on. I can feel it." Sora said angrily.

"Oh no, not that old 'warrior's instinct' thing again..." Kairi muttered, continuing to cook her dinner.

"I mean it, this feels all too familiar... As if the Heartless have come back again." Sora said to Kairi, grabbing her hand. Kairi's eyes widened.

"What? But how is that even possible after all of this time? That was twenty five years ago, and we're both grown. We even have a family now." Kairi said, worry and concern in her eyes as she stared into her husband's identical blue eyes.

"That doesn't mean that it wasn't going to happen again, Kairi. You and I both knew that this would happen again sooner or later." Sora said.

"Wait a second! Do you think that Manami and Takeshi are in danger now if your theory is right?!" Kairi asked, her eyes widening even more, thinking of her children.

"What?! Oh my god!" Sora shouted, running out of the kitchen.

"Sora, wait!" Kairi exclaimed. Sora stopped and Kairi approached him. "If the darkness really has returned again, then you should probably have some help to stop it. You should tell Riku about all of this."

"Are you kidding me about that, Kairi? Riku hasn't even been the same person he used to be since he lost his youngest son to the darkness. He blamed me for all of that... That was nine years ago. Who's to say that he'll still trust me after that?" Sora said.

"Riku knows it wasn't your fault his son disappeared, he was probably just really mad at the person who took him." Kairi suggested. "He's your best friend. He wouldn't get mad at you for that if he was truly your friend. And he knows that you can't control the darkness like he chose to, so it couldn't have been your fault."

"I just don't know what he'd think when he sees me after all of this time, though... I'm a little worried." Sora admitted. Kairi kissed him on the cheek.

"You'll do fine, I know it! I'm sure he'd be happy to see you again after all these years!" Kairi told Sora.

"Yeah, I guess he should be a little happy and surprised. That... Or he'll just want to try and kill me for his son's disappearance using his Way to the Dawn Keyblade again..." Sora said, sighing.

--

"Manami, I'm scared! What're we gonna do now?!" Takeshi exclaimed, grabbing hold of Manami and clinging to her.

"I don't have my sword, so fighting the Heartless is out of the question... We can't run away because the Heartless would follow us and then dad would start to question us. I really don't know what to do…" Manami said.

"There's nothing _**to**_ do! You're trapped on an island where no one can help you, and there's Heartless all around the island. Face it, you're running out of luck. Actually… No doubt out of it now!" Sitoru said to the two children.

"Takeshi, run." Manami whispered to her young brother.

"What?" Takeshi whispered back.

"Run!"

"I can't leave you here to face him like this, sister Manami!" Takeshi exclaimed. Manami put her hands on Takeshi's shoulders.

"Takeshi… Go find mom and dad to tell them what's going on. I'll take care of Sitoru on my own, but you have to get out of here." Manami said.

"Okay." Takeshi said, defeated. He hugged Manami. "I love you, sister…"

"I love you too, Takeshi." Manami said, smiling. Takeshi got up and started running off. Sitoru stepped in front of Takeshi, grabbing the young boy by the shirt and then throwing him to the ground. Takeshi fell unconscious instantly.

"Heh. One down. You're not going anywhere, kid. She said she wanted the girl in her possession, but having two for the price of one will work just as well!" Sitoru said. Manami got up and rammed Sitoru.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY LITTLE BROTHER, SITORU!" Manami exclaimed, knocking Sitoru to the ground. She began punching and kicking him, fighting to protect her brother. "I TRUSTED YOU, SITORU! YOU WERE MY FRIEND!" Sitoru responded by punching Manami in the face, knocking her over. "Sitoru…"

"You were wrong to trust me at all, Manami. But… There were not by my orders. I personally wanted not to do this at all. The orders were given out to me by Maleficent, the dark witch that controls the Heartless."

"Maleficent?" Manami said.

"Yes Maleficent. She's my mistress, you baka! Did you know anything about her? Or did your dearest daddy forget to warn you about her coming back for revenge on him? By kidnapping YOU!" Sitoru asked, smirking.

"You leave my father out of this!" Manami exclaimed angrily, slowly getting to her feet. She fell on her knees, her breathing becoming much more fast paced. "You won't get away with this, Sitoru!"

"Oh, I think I already have, Manami. I think that I already have." Sitoru said, snapping his fingers with a devilish smile on his face. Manami's eyes widened as all of the Heartless surrounded her.

"Sitoru..." Manami whispered. When one of the Heartless struck her in her chest, Manami fell to the ground, passing out.

Sitoru stared down at Manami's still body with dark eyes and then picked her up before grabbing Takeshi and carrying him in his other arm. With a single snap of his fingers, Sitoru sent the Heartless away to terrorize the island. "Sorry about this, but I have no choice. I follow the orders that Maleficent gives me for a reason..." Sitoru said.

--

Sora slowly approached the house where Riku lived, afraid to see his best friend again after all of these years. Riku didn't even know about Takeshi because the young boy hadn't been born yet, although Manami probably didn't even remember him. Nervously, Sora gathered up his courage and began to knock on the front door.

"Who's there?" Sora heard Riku's voice call out. He hadn't changed much in voice, Sora could easily discover that. Sora gulped.

"Uh… It's Sora. Can I come in, Riku?" Sora asked.

"Sora?!" Riku said, leaping out of his seat and running towards the door. He slowly opened his door and stared down at the spiky brunette.

"Hiya." Sora said, smiling widely.

"Sora, it really is you… What're you doing here? It's been too long… And I told you I didn't want to see you again after what happened…" Riku said.

"Riku, I've told you before that it wasn't my fault that your son vanished like that, but I know what you've been feeling after all of these years." Sora said. "You've been hurt that you lost the one person you loved more than yourself. Your own child-"

"So, what exactly are you doing here anyways other than to remind me of my much darker past?" Riku said angrily to Sora.

"The darkness has returned, at least that's what Kairi and I think has happened. And my two children are out there somewhere, probably being attacked as we speak." Sora said, shutting his eyes.

"Got busy again, I see. If you wanna save your kids so much, why don't you just use your Keyblade and cut the darkness down to size like you did when we were teenagers? You're much stronger than I am anyways…" Riku muttered. Sora sighed.

"That's just it, Riku... I don't even know if I can do it alone all over again, especially if my children's lives are at stake now." Sora said.

"So, now you want my help to find your kids?" Riku asked. Sora nodded. "I'm not about to help you find the people you love and miss! Not again!"

"What?! How come?"

"You always think everything is about you, and it's not! All you think about is yourself and your needs!" Riku exclaimed.

"I'm not thinking of myself, I'm thinking of my family. Please? I'm literally begging you here, Riku. Takeshi and Manami are my life, I don't wanna lose them. Please, Riku." Sora pleaded. Riku glanced back at Sora.

"Well…" Riku began, only causing Sora to glance up at him. Riku sighed. "I guess if it's for your kids, I really should help you out."

"Thank you so much, Riku!" Sora exclaimed, leaping out of his seat with a huge grin spread across his face. Riku nodded, smiling widely.

"It's nothing. Anything for an old friend." Riku said. Sora smiled widely. Riku summoned his own Keyblade, Way to the Dawn. "Haven't used this thing in ages... Now, let's get out there and find Manami and Takeshi."

"Right." Sora said, summoning the Kingdom Key Keyblade. Riku stared at the Keyblade in Sora's hands, a little annoyed.

"You couldn't have a better keychain?" Riku asked.

"Shut up, this was all I had besides Sweet Memories." Sora muttered.

"Never mind it..." Riku said, opening the front door.

--

Sitoru placed Manami and Takeshi into a small Gummi ship, knowing that he couldn't portal out of the area with extra weight on his hands.

I mean, why would he want to carry two unconscious bodies through a castle if he could just save himself the trouble and fly the three of them there on his own? "There we go. All set and ready for my true reward... Mistress Maleficent?" Sitoru called out into a small communicator.

"News to report, Sitoru?" Maleficent replied.

"Yes, Mistress Maleficent. Mission accomplished. I've acquired the girl. And her brother as well. I'll return momentarily." Sitoru said, hanging up the communicator.

"Hey you!" Sora called out, spotting the young boy. Sitoru slowly turned around, slightly nervous when he saw Sora and Riku behind him.

"Oh, the Keyblade master has arrived, I see." Sitoru said angrily, staring at Sora.

"You know me?" Sora asked. He got into a fighting position, his Keyblade drawn. "I would even fight a kid to save my own!" Riku's eyes widened as he stared at the boy. He just looked so familiar... Almost as if Riku had seen him before.

"Hey! What're you staring at, grandpa?! Got an eye problem or something?!" Sitoru exclaimed angrily, glaring at Riku. Riku stared the boy in the eye, noticing the same aura he had when he was around the same age as this boy. They even had the same aquamarine eye color and silver hair!

"What're you thinking, Riku?" Sora asked.

"I really think that I know him. He looks just like... Me. When I was a teenager." Riku said, staring at the boy clearly. Sitoru slowly backed up from Riku, angered at this. Riku held out a hand towards the boy. "Are you...?"

"Get away from me, you silver-haired creep!" Sitoru shouted angrily, summoning a Keyblade by mistake. It looked very similar to Riku's, only it was completely black. "Whoa... Did I just do that? I'm no Keyblade wielder, am I?"

"It's a Keyblade! This boy really is just like you are, Riku..." Sora exclaimed, rising from his fighting position. Riku walked towards Sitoru.

"Is it really you, Sitoru?" Riku asked.

"Wait a sec. H-How did you know my name is Sitoru?! Who the hell are you?!" Sitoru asked nervously. Riku's eyes widened and a tear fell from his eye.

"All this time has passed since then... I thought I'd lost you forever..." Riku said, walking towards Sitoru and putting a hand on his cheek. Sitoru's eyes widened with fear and then he broke away, running into the Gummi ship and flying up into the air.

"Daddy, help!" Sora heard Takeshi's voice call. Sora looked up only to see Manami and Takeshi banging on the Gummi's windows, trying to get free.

"Manami! Takeshi!" Sora shouted, chasing after the ship. Sitoru glanced down from the driver's window and saw Sora chasing him.

"Well, well. Looks like the Keyblade master's given chase now."

"That little brat... Bad choice for you to try and take my kids away from me!" Sora shouted angrily, leaping up into the air and grabbing hold of the back of the Gummi ship's engine, hanging there for his life.

"Daddy!" Manami shouted, tears racing down her face.

"Manami... I'll save you. I promise." Sora whispered. Sora's grip suddenly loosened from the ship's engine and he fell from his great height onto the island.

"DADDY!!" Manami shouted as the Gummi ship faded from view.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

Sora lay completely motionless on the sandy ground, tears racing down his face. "I failed Manami and Takeshi... I let Sitoru take them both away from me just like that..." Sora pounded the ground with one of his fists, tears still racing down his face.

"Sora!" Riku shouted, running towards his best friend. Sora sat up in the sand, wiping his eyes before Riku saw. Riku knelt beside Sora. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay, but..." Sora said, staring up at the sky. The Gummi ship was nowhere to be found and Riku sighed. "I... I failed Manami and Takeshi... I said to Manami after your son was kidnapped that I'd always protect her from evil. I failed her."

"You didn't fail, Sora. You nearly risked your life to save Manami and Takeshi. We'll get them back, I promise. And now I **have** to go with you." Riku said.

"Why? And who exactly is this boy Sitoru to you for him to be familiar and so very similar in appearance to you?" Sora asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think he's the son I had that was kidnapped from me a long time ago. If he looks and acts so much like me back when I was still a teenager, then I really think he's my son Sitoru." Riku said.

"But why would he even choose to kidnap Manami and Takeshi in the first place?" Sora asked. "I mean, he's just a child. What would he want with them?"

"He didn't even remember who I was back there... He lost his memories of home. Maybe he wants to remember me and everything here on the islands, but he's afraid to." Riku said to Sora. Sora sighed.

"Well, whatever the reason he chose to do this, we have to find Sitoru again and find out where he took my kids." Sora said.

"Good idea. C'mon." Riku said, holding out his hand towards Sora. Sora grabbed Riku's hand and stood up.

"But, Riku... How exactly are we gonna get to where Sitoru went? I don't have a Gummi ship anymore and you can't open a portal." Sora said.

"I have an idea." Riku said, taking out a small communication device.

"What's that?" Sora asked, smirking.

"The King gave it to me after the last time we met up with him, twenty five years ago. He said to me that whenever I needed him or just wanted to talk to someone other than you or Kairi, just press this button and I can talk to him." Riku said, staring at the small device in his hands. "Maybe he can loan us a Gummi ship."

"That's awesome! Call him, call him!" Sora said excitedly.

"Here goes nothing..." Riku pressed the button and began pacing around the island in hopes of a response. "C'mon..."

"You've reached the hot-line of King Mickey." A small voice called through the communicator. Riku's eyes widened. "Who is this?"

"Your majesty?" Riku called.

"Riku?" The voice called again. Riku knew this was the king.

"Yeah, it's me! Hi, Your Majesty! It's been so long, so I thought you weren't gonna answer my call!" Riku said, smiling widely.

"Of course I would, Riku. I just never thought you'd call after all of this time." King Mickey said. "Well, you called, so what's the problem?"

"Well…" Riku began explaining everything that had happened to the king. Sora sat by the shore, listening to everything that Riku was telling the king.

"Manami… Takeshi… I'm so sorry…" Sora whispered, staring up at the sky. Riku walked over to Sora, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey… Mickey said that Donald and Goofy are bringing a Gummi ship over here right now, and then they're gonna have to head back to Disney Castle… But, at least you can meet up with them again. Okay?" Riku said, trying to comfort Sora.

"Alright…" Sora replied. He was really happy he would be able to see Donald and Goofy again, but he was too worried for his children to think about that.

"Hey, they'll be alright. I know it. I haven't seen Manami in a few years, but I know how strong she must be. She gets her strength from you, Kairi, even her little brother though he doesn't know about his inner strength yet." Riku said.

"I hope… Takeshi doesn't know the first thing about fighting, and Manami uses a sword to fight, but I don't have any idea where she got it from." Sora said.

"Maybe Sitoru gave it to her. But he can't create swords. Even I can't. Someone else must be corrupting him into doing all this stuff to convince her that he can be trusted, even though he can't." Riku said.

"I don't know… He just looked like an ordinary kid when I caught my first glimpse of him tonight… But inside, he's probably just lost and angry, like you were when you thought I had something to do with his disappearance." Sora said.

"It'll be alright. I know now he's safe, and… I just want him back with me. But we have to find out who's causing all of this. I mean... I told Sitoru about the darkness and light when he was still a small child, then all of that had happened. Sitoru was only six years old, and I couldn't save him in time." Riku said.

_Sitoru and Riku were sitting on the beach, staring up at the clouds as they did this. Sitoru was now wearing a small black necklace around his neck that his father had given him only moments before. Riku told Sitoru that the necklace was one of his most cherished items, given to him by his father before he died when he was a child._

_**Promise me that you'll always be strong, even if something should happen to me, Sitoru. Don't ever forget about me. **__Riku told him._

_**I promise, dad. I won't ever forget about you, or the things you've taught me in the past. Never.**__ Sitoru replied, smiling widely. Riku giggled and then placed the black necklace around his son's neck, ruffling his son's silver hair a little._

_Riku had fallen asleep a few moments later, happy to know that nothing would ever happen to tear his only child from him. But he was very wrong. He was suddenly awakened from his slumber when he heard a cry for help coming from further away._

_**Dad! Help me! **__Riku heard Sitoru's voice call._

_**Be quiet, boy. **__A woman's voice called out angrily. Then Riku suddenly heard the sound of a slap and then a stifled cry. _

_**No! DAD! DAD!!!**__ Riku stood up and ran towards his son's cry._

_**Sitoru! Sitoru, where are you?! Answer me! **__All Riku could hear from there was the sound of evil laughter. __**Sitoru! Sitoru!**__ Riku's eyes widened when he suddenly saw Sitoru being dragged into a dark portal by a dark figure. Sitoru was hanging onto the paopu tree he adored for his life. _

_**Dad! **__Sitoru shouted, tears racing down the young boy's face._

_**Sitoru! **__Riku drew his Keyblade and raced towards the portal where Sitoru was. Riku grabbed Sitoru's hand and held it tightly in his own as the portal began to close. __**Just hang on, it'll be alright! I've got you!**_

_**You fool. You cannot save him, unless you're willing to take your life for him.**_

_Heartless suddenly began to surround Riku and a Soldier struck him in the back, causing him to lose his grip with Sitoru. __**NO!**__ The last that Riku could see was darkness._

_**DAD! **__Sitoru shouted as the portal suddenly closed shut. Riku's eyes widened as the portal closed shut and Sitoru's black necklace fell out. Riku picked it up and shut his eyes, holding the small necklace close to his heart._

"I lost my only son to the darkness once before… I'll do anything I can in my power to get him back." Riku said, clenching his fist tightly.

"I understand that, Riku. We'll get Sitoru back to the way he was before he was corrupted by the darkness, and we'll save Manami and Takeshi from him too. I promise." Sora said, smiling. Riku nodded and then stared up at the sky and he gasped.

"Hey, look at that!" Riku said, pointing to a ship in the sky coming towards them. Sora looked in the same direction and then smiled.

"Alright! That's a Gummi ship! Donald and Goofy are here!" Sora exclaimed, leaping up from his spot in the sand. Riku stood up and watched as the Gummi ship slowed to a stop and then landed in front of them. A dog and a duck came from the ship.

"Hiya!" The dog called. The duck smiled.

"Donald!!!!! Goofy!!!!!" Sora ran up to the two and pulled them both into a hug, lifting them both off of the ground.

"Sora!!!" The two exclaimed, laughing. Riku walked over to the group as Sora set Donald and Goofy back on the ground again. "Riku!!!"

"It's nice to see you guys again!" Riku said, smiling.

"King Mickey told us that something happened here and sent us to drop off a Gummi. Mind explaining what happened?" Goofy asked.

"I don't mind explaining what happened… My two children named Manami and Takeshi were kidnapped by a boy named Sitoru a little while ago from right under my nose…" Sora said, staring at the ground.

"And when I came to help Sora, I saw Sitoru. I recognized his face easily, because he looked just like me. And I knew that he was my son, but he was being corrupted by the darkness. He was taken from me when he was only six years old by the Heartless and I hadn't heard from him since that moment. He's a Keyblade wielder as well, and that's exactly what made me realize that this boy really was my young son. " Riku said.

"When Riku told me about what had happened to Sitoru then, he blamed me for his son's kidnapping. I told him I had nothing to do with it, but he didn't believe me. Then our friendship drifted apart. Earlier, I felt a dark presence and got worried for my children's lives. When Kairi told me to go and talk to him about this, I was a little afraid because it had been a long time since we had. But because Riku wanted to help my children, he chose to help me." Sora said.

"Gawrsh, I'm really sorry you lost your kids like that, Sora. It must be so hard." Goofy said, trying to cheer his old friend up.

"I'll be alright as long as we can get them back." Sora replied, smiling.

"We will. I promise you, Sora." Riku said, smiling as well.

---------------KH

Manami sat in a small room aboard the Gummi ship, holding the now sleeping Takeshi in her arms safely. She stared at Sitoru driving up ahead, and then glared at him from behind, setting Takeshi down in a small bed before getting up.

"You know… You're nothing but a goddamn lousy traitor, Sitoru. You meant to do this all along because you were working with Maleficent." Manami said angrily.

"I'm working with Maleficent for a very suitable reason, Manami." Sitoru said angrily, still focusing on his driving.

"And the reason would be?"

"I want my memories back. I just want to be able to remember everything I lost. My home… My parents… Even who I really am. I want to remember everything. And Maleficent's the only one who can help me remember all of that. I have no choice…" Sitoru said, staring out into the multicolored sky.

"My father always told me that it's not the past that controls you, it's what you plan to do today." Manami said.

"Your father doesn't matter to me. To Maleficent, all he was is just a pawn of the light. He's weak and hopeless, thinking he can just waltz into her castle, take out his Keyblade and win the battle in a snap." Sitoru said.

"Don't you dare sass my father, you jerk!" Manami exclaimed, throwing a punch. Sitoru held out his hand while driving as well, catching Manami's punch. "What the f-" Sitoru suddenly threw Manami against the wall, letting her slide onto the ground.

"Pfft. Weak…" Sitoru said.

"Sitoru, you'll pay…" Manami said angrily, getting up slowly.

"Oh please, you couldn't beat me … Finally. Go wake up your pathetic little brother. We're here." Sitoru said. Manami walked over towards Takeshi's sleeping form and picked him up, holding him close to her.

"The hell with you." Manami exclaimed angrily as Sitoru slowly walked towards the vast black castle.

"Come quietly or the kid loses his life." Sitoru said, opening the doors.

"You wouldn't dare put a hand on Takeshi!" Manami shouted angrily.

"I said be quiet, you ignorant brat!" Sitoru shouted angrily, slashing Manami in the cheek with his blade. Manami cried out in pain watching blood roll down her cheek, nearly dropping Takeshi in the process. Sitoru put his Keyblade away quickly, thinking that Manami would say something about him wielding one like Sora and Riku could. "And Maleficent hears nothing about me being a Keyblade wielder, got it?"

"Damn you." Manami muttered as she continued to follow Sitoru deeper into the palace. Takeshi began to move in Manami's arms, and his eyes slowly began to open.

"Manami... I had the worst dream. We were sitting on the play islands watching the first moon and some guy named Sitoru started attacking us-" Takeshi began.

"That was no dream, Takeshi... It was all real. And now we're trapped in some giant castle." Manami said.

"I want daddy..." Takeshi said, worried.

"Dad's coming after us, Takeshi. I know it." Manami said to Takeshi, smiling. Moments later, the three came to a throne room and there sat Maleficent.

"Mistress Maleficent, I've done as you asked and brought the girl." Sitoru said, kneeling as he stared up at the woman in black.

"So, this is Maleficent?" Manami asked. Sitoru nodded.

"Ew... She's even uglier than dad said that she was." Takeshi said.

"Be silent, you pitiful little ingrate." Maleficent said angrily, holding her staff out as if she were going to hit Takeshi. Takeshi stuck out his tongue at Maleficent.

"Come on down from that throne and make me be quiet, you old hag! I won't take such orders from someone like you!" Takeshi said.

"Insolent little-" Maleficent began.

Maleficent held her staff up into the air and it suddenly began to glow an eerie green. She held it out towards Takeshi and dark magic began to flow from it. At long last, dark magic burst from the staff and towards Takeshi.

"Aah!" Takeshi shouted out, dodging the attack and hiding behind Manami.

"Maybe you oughta learn to hold your tongue sometimes. Mistress Maleficent's no pushover when it comes to dealing with her enemies. Trust me, I know. Be happy she's letting you live for right now." Sitoru said to Takeshi angrily.

"Sitoru, I'm leaving you and the Heartless in charge of these two. I've no desire to care for that pitiful Keyblade master's brats." Maleficent said, summoning Heartless.

"Don't you dare talk about my father that kind of way, you Heartless cunt!" Manami said angrily, about to charge towards the woman. Out of nowhere, Heartless leapt on top of Manami, knocking her over.

"Insolent child, you cannot defeat me." Maleficent said.

"The name's Manami, you old hag!" Manami exclaimed angrily. Sitoru ran towards Manami and then destroyed the Heartless with his Keyblade, putting it away quickly before Maleficent could have a chance to question him.

"Manami, just don't anger her. If she gets really angry, she'll be strong enough to kill all of us, especially because she's much older and a lot stronger than she used to be. I kept screaming for my father when I first came here, and she put me into a coma because of that, and I didn't remember a thing after I woke up." Sitoru said.

"Is that why you kidnapped us in the first place?" Takeshi asked.

"Sitoru, get those two nuisances away from here at once!" Maleficent demanded. Sitoru stood up and nodded.

"Yes, mistress Maleficent. I'll do that." Sitoru said quickly. He stared at the two younger children before him. "You heard the lady, move it."

"Whatever." Manami said angrily, walking off. Takeshi clung to Manami, not wanting to be left with Maleficent. As soon as the three traveled into the next room, a Heartless prepared to attack the trio. "Not gonna happen!" Takeshi quickly leaped into the air, shutting his eyes and slashing the creature down.

"Whoa." Sitoru muttered, his aquamarine eyes wide.

"T-Takeshi, open your eyes!" Manami shouted.

"Huh? What's the-?" Takeshi opened his eyes slowly and in his hands rested a Keyblade with a silver tip and a black handle. Takeshi held the blade up towards him, his own eyes wide as well. "Whoa… It's a Keyblade…"

"Oh, that's just great! So now everyone can wield a Keyblade except for me!" Manami said angrily, walking off. "This is so unfair!"

"Let it go already, it's just a word called fate. Or in this case, destiny…" Sitoru said angrily. Takeshi put the Keyblade in his hands away and followed after his sister. "By the way, pick a room anywhere, just don't go anywhere near mine."

-------------KH

Sora and Riku sat in the Gummi ship along with Donald and Goofy, both of the men deep in thought as they question their relation to why their children had disappeared, each in different ways. They sat in another room while Donald drove the ship.

"I wonder who took Sitoru from me in the first place." Riku asked Sora.

"It couldn't have been Xemnas… Xemnas was killed over twenty years ago, and then Ansem was killed at Kingdom Hearts. So, it couldn't have been either of Xehanort's halves." Sora concluded.

"Think it was Maleficent? You know, we never finished her off the last time we went to other worlds." Riku asked.

"That's true… Maybe she did do it. And you know, she does still have a grudge against you for when you joined her and eventually betrayed her. But she disappeared when we were about to fight Xemnas, so-" Sora began.

"Maybe she didn't die back there after all… Maybe she took down all of the Heartless, and took Sitoru away from me to raise him to be a regular pawn of the darkness just like I was." Riku said, staring at the ground. He reached in his back pocket and brought out the pendant he had given Sitoru right before the boy was kidnapped.

**This pendant belonged to my father when I was a child. And he gave it to me to signify courage and determination, something that you have. And so I pass this to you. Don't ever forget who you are, even if you have no memories in your heart. Can you promise me that, Sitoru?**

**I promise, dad. I won't ever forget about you or what you've taught me, that's for sure!** _Sitoru took the pendant from Riku and tied it around his neck, smiling as he did this._

"What's that for, Riku?" Sora asked Riku, referring to the small black pendant in his best friend's hand. Riku glanced up, coming out of his daydream.

"Oh, this? My father gave it to me when I was a kid, a few years before he died… I gave it to Sitoru the day that he was kidnapped, and it fell off when he was dragged into a dark portal. I've kept it with me since then, hoping I'd see him again." Riku explained. "He promised me that he wouldn't forget me, but he didn't know that he'd be taken away from me… He doesn't have any idea who I am…"

"Good thing you did keep it, because now you know he's still alive and well. The only thing we have to worry about is whether or not he still remembers you. If he doesn't, then help him to remember. Like how Namine helped me remember Kairi." Sora said.

"Good point… But… His memories were only lost in the first place because he's being corrupted by the darkness. If he truly gave in, he wouldn't even be walking around without wanting to steal somebody's heart." Riku said. "He must still have some light left in him, and Maleficent wants to take the remaining light from his heart somehow."

"Manami never mentioned even knowing about him to me or Kairi, so she must be part of the reason Sitoru still has some light inside of his heart. Maybe he's in love." Sora said, staring at the ground.

"Maybe you're right. I mean, if they hadn't met, then Sitoru would've probably done as Maleficent asked him to and opened his heart to the darkness a long time ago." Riku said. "Trust me, I would know. It happened to me once before."

"Sora, Riku, we've arrived at Disney Castle!" Donald called out. The two men exited the room at the sound of this call.

------------KH

Manami and Takeshi sat in a small white room, the only white room in the entire castle, thinking of a way to try and escape the castle while questioning Takeshi's destiny as the newest Keyblade warrior.

"I don't trust any of this. It's weird how one day I'm entertaining my folks and the next, I'm a Keyblade wielder." Takeshi said angrily, staring at his Keyblade.

"It's destiny, just like dad earning his Keyblade when he was my age. But I still question why the Keyblade would choose a six year old with no fighting experience over a fourteen year old that wields a katana." Manami said.

"Hey, Manami… If I'm the next Keyblade master, wouldn't that in some ways make you a princess of heart?" Takeshi asked.

"Oh please… Why would _I_ of **all** people be considered a princess of anything? Besides, my heart's not nearly as pure as our mother's is." Manami said, soon turning her attention to a small salmon colored sketchbook resting on the nightstand next to her. She picked it up and then stared at it.

"What's that?" Takeshi asked.

"This was Namine's sketchbook when she was about my age… She used this sketchbook to draw pictures that created fake memories and make dad forget all about mom and many other memories, such as his friends from other worlds. She used it in a place called Castle Oblivion and this is what caused dad to sleep in a pod for a year, until Roxas fused with him and woke him up." Manami said.

"How do you know that? Mom and dad never mentioned anything about Castle Oblivion or Namine's memory rearranging sketchbook to us. He didn't mention hearing Roxas to us, either." Takeshi said.

"I… I dunno. I guess I just knew about it." Manami said. In truth, Manami didn't know about any of the information she had given Takeshi until she first laid eyes on Namine's sketchbook. There was a knock on the door.

"Whoever it is at the door, come on in." Takeshi said cautiously. Sitoru opened the bedroom door and glared at Takeshi.

"Hey." Sitoru said.

"What the hell do you want, Sitoru? We're busy." Manami spat.

"I have to talk to you for a moment about something important, Manami. _Alone_." Sitoru said sternly. Takeshi stared up at his older sister with worried eyes, still having no ounce of trust for Sitoru.

"Don't worry, I'll be alright on my own." Manami said.

"Holler if you need me, and I'll come running to help you. Know that, sister." Takeshi said, holding out his Keyblade towards Manami. Manami nodded, stood up and walked out of the door, leaving the young boy in the bedroom by himself.

"What did you have to talk to me about?" Manami asked Sitoru, shutting the door behind her. Sitoru started walking off. "Sitoru-"

"Follow me. This isn't a good place to talk. Your brother would be listening at the door, and then Maleficent has Heartless all over the castle on guard duty. If they caught me talking to you, then they'd warn Maleficent of this action. And who knows what she could do if she found out I was associating with the enemy." Sitoru said.

"Oh… Alright…" Manami said, following Sitoru. The two walked outside of the castle walls, sneaking past many Heartless to do so. Manami stared up at the castle, then at Sitoru. "How did you figure out where to go? That castle is HUGE!"

"I've done that kind of thing long enough to know exactly which paths to take." Sitoru walked towards a small, dark ocean, sitting down and letting the waves clash against his feet. Manami sat down next to him and sighed.

"What did you have to tell me?" Manami asked.

"I wanted to tell you something… Manami… There's a reason why I kidnapped you and your brother. Maleficent told me to do so, but I never would've done it if not for what she told me in the past."

"What did she tell you?"

"When I was small, she took me away from the Destiny Islands and erased my memories of home when she put me into a coma for six weeks…"

**LET ME GO HOME! I WANT TO BE WITH MY DAD! I HATE IT HERE, LET ME GO BACK HOME!** _Sitoru shouted out angrily, tears racing down the young boy's face as Maleficent held him in her arms._

**Be** **silent, you insolent little brat! **_Maleficent said angrily, throwing Sitoru to the ground. _**Your father doesn't want you anymore. He never has.**

**You liar! My father loves me more than he loves himself! He told me so himself! He wouldn't abandon me, let alone leave me with an old hag like you! **_Sitoru was suddenly thrown to the ground and knocked unconscious._

**You pathetic child…**

"When I woke up again, I couldn't remember anything but my name… Not even my father…" Sitoru said. "And when Maleficent told me about you and your family living on the Destiny Islands, I didn't have any idea my father missed me. Maleficent had told me that my father wanted me gone for good, and she basically saved me."

"What kind of father would want his child dead?" Manami asked.

"That's exactly what I thought to myself at the time… When I asked Maleficent that, she said that he was an alcoholic, which is why he wanted me dead. I thought she was lying at first, but then she showed me an orb that showed my father in the club shortly after I had left. I thought he was moving on in life…" Sitoru said sadly.

"I'm sure that wasn't what your father had intended, Sitoru. He was probably just upset, because I remember my dad was swearing at himself because your father blamed him for your disappearance." Manami said. "Anyways, what happened next?"

"I then owed Maleficent my life because of what I saw happening and by what she had told me. I believed every word. I didn't find out she was lying to me until after I saw my father again today and saw the way he looked at me… He was even crying..." Sitoru said, tears falling from his eyes. "I deceived my own father…"

"It wasn't your fault… You were young and deceived for all the wrong reasons." Manami said, suddenly pulling Sitoru into a sideways hug. Tears streamed down her face as well. Sitoru put a hand towards his face and wiped the tears away.

"You have no reason to cry for me, Manami…"

"I can cry for you if I want to, you're my friend. Even if you did turn against me, you're still my friend." Manami said.

"You shouldn't even trust me… It's my all fault that I'm even in this mess. If only I hadn't passed out when Maleficent attacked me… Then I probably would have gained enough strength to defeat her and return home without the Keyblade coming to me…" Sitoru said. "Wait! If she finds out I'm wielding a Keyblade now, she'll kill me!"

"The blood line will be cut off. There would be no more dark Keyblade wielders. Balance will fall within the worlds." Manami said. "Wait… If Maleficent's against my father, and if she found out that Takeshi had a Keyblade while we we're still out here… She'd want to kill Takeshi to get to my father!"

"She really would do that sort of thing… We've gotta keep Takeshi away from Maleficent long enough for your father to come, or she'll win." Sitoru said, standing up.

"Wait!" Manami said. Sitoru turned to face her. "Tell me something… When Takeshi and I were talking, I saw Namine's sketchbook and knew everything in the past that had happened between her and my father, even though my father didn't remember that himself. Tell me why I knew that even though he didn't."

"Manami, you have the gift of remembrance. You know some things that others don't from the past that were never explained. You may even know some of the things that can happen in the future before others." Sitoru said.

"I didn't even like knowing about my father's past, and now I know I have the power to determine the past and the future…" Manami muttered.

---------------------KH

Sora stepped out of the Gummi ship and glanced around the area where he now was. It was full of many Gummi parts and blocks, so he knew that this was where the Gummi ship was first made. The Gummi Hangar.

"Man, it's been ages since I've set foot in Disney Castle…" Sora said, smiling.

"So, where's the king?" Riku asked Donald and Goofy.

"He's probably in the library. He's expecting you two." Goofy said.

"Then what're we waiting for? Let's go meet up with him! I want him to be surprised when he sees how much we've grown up since we last saw him!" Sora said, walking off. Actually, he was RUNNING off.

"Sora, wait up!" Riku called, following after his best friend. Donald and Goofy went in the opposite direction, splitting up. However, when Sora ran into the castle, his huge smile quickly faded into a frown. The castle was being overrun by Heartless.

"Oh shit…" Sora said to himself. Riku ran up to Sora.

"Hey, Sora, why'd you stop-" Riku began. Then Sora pointed to the marauding Heartless up ahead and Riku's eyes widened. "Oh no… That's why…"

"We've gotta take these guys down and find the king." Sora said, summoning his Keyblade and running towards the Heartless. They were instantly defeated when Sora slashed them all away. "Well, are you coming or what?!"

Riku summoned his Keyblade and ran after Sora, slashing Heartless along the way. "So, where exactly is this library?" Riku asked.

"If I can recall correctly, the library is in that last room up ahead." Sora said, pointing to a nearby room. Riku nodded and then ran ahead towards the door, defeating Heartless as he made his way to the room.

"Man, if there's a ton of Heartless just in the Disney Castle, imagine what it'll be like when we arrive at Maleficent's castle. It must be total chaos for Sitoru to have to live with her." Riku said to himself. He opened the door to the library, Sora close by.

"I heard what you said, and stop worrying about what's happening. Let's just see if we can talk to the king, find out where Maleficent's castle is so we can go there, save my kids, and possibly figure out how to restore Sitoru's memories of home from there." Sora said. Riku shrugged.

"I can't be worried for my son's life after I just found out he was still alive? You're acting really worried about Manami and Takeshi." Riku said.

"Well, I- You do have a point…" Sora said.

"There's the king, at his study." Riku said, walking over to the mouse at the desk. "King Mickey?" The king glanced up and his mouth dropped open.

"Riku! You're here!" The king said, leaping out of his seat.

"And Sora." Sora said, waving nervously to the king. The king nodded, smiling. "It's been so long, it's great to see you again, Your Majesty."

"Great to see you both too. I believe you're here for a very special reason?" King Mickey asked. Riku glanced over at Sora, and the brunette stared at the ground, upset. King Mickey stared over at Sora and frowned. "What is it, Sora?"

"Well… That's exactly why we came here, Your Majesty. My two young children Manami and Takeshi were kidnapped by a young boy with silver hair. And Riku believes that this boy is his lost son, Sitoru. We also think that Maleficent is corrupting the young boy with the darkness to get at us both for revenge from the past. We need to know where they are and take down Maleficent before she kills my children." Sora said.

"Hm… Do you have any leads?" King Mickey asked.

"I told you everything that I know or think that I know. I just want my kids back and unharmed by Maleficent. Riku only came along with me because now he knows that his son is alive. We were in a nine year long feud after his son was taken from him because Riku blamed me for that." Sora said.

"Although when Sora arrived at my doorstep pleading for help, I'd said I'd help him for his children. That was when we saw Sitoru taking Manami and Takeshi, and I easily recognized him even though it had been nine years since I had last seen my son." Riku said. Sora nodded in agreement.

"I see… Well, perhaps we can track down Maleficent's kingdom using a Gummi ship moderator." King Mickey said. Sora grew confused.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"I have a special Gummi ship in this kingdom that allows you to track down the world you wish to visit. I can loan it to you." King Mickey said.

"Really?! Thank you so much for this, King Mickey!" Sora said, lifting the king off of the ground and hugging him tightly. King Mickey was shocked by this act, but started smiling instead.

"Uh, Sora…" Riku began, giggling. "Don't kill him."

"Oh! I mean, uh… Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty." Sora said, setting the king back on the ground and dusting him off. "Excuse me for my action."

"It's quite alright." King Mickey said, giggling. The king summoned his Keyblade and headed for the door. "Come along now, we have some fighting to do if we're gonna head back to the Gummi Hangar and obtain your new ship."

"What about Donald and Goofy? What will they do?" Sora suddenly asked.

"They have to remain here and watch over the kingdom alongside me, especially while the Heartless are around." King Mickey said.

"Oh… Yes, Your Majesty…" Sora said, a little disappointed that he couldn't see his friends for very long.

Moments after battling the Heartless, the group arrived in the Gummi Hangar. The king walked over to a small door. "This is it. Behind this door is the Gummi ship with the moderating tracking device."

"Thank you." Riku said quickly, putting his Keyblade away. The king opened the door and there stood a black and red Gummi ship, much larger than Sora's old Kingdom model used to be.

"This is the Gummi Highwind Level Ten, much stronger than the previous Gummi modules. Now… I warn you of this ship now…" Sora stared at the ground as Mickey began to explain the dangers of driving the new Gummi, dazed out.

_Manami, Takeshi… Don't be afraid. I'm coming for you. You don't have to worry about Maleficent coming after you or anything. Just be calm and wait for me._

**Daddy, is there really a such thing as other worlds? Manami told me that they really do exist out there, but I wanted to know if you would tell me the truth about them. **_Then four year old Takeshi asked._

**Yes, there are such things as other worlds, Takeshi, but they have been sealed away for many years. They were sealed away even before you or Manami were born. **_Sora replied, smiling. Takeshi smiled back._

**Daddy… Have you ever been to another world?**_ Takeshi asked._

**Uh, well… No, I haven't really been to them… I've heard about them, though, and that's why I know so about them.** _Sora lied. He couldn't tell his youngest son about his past adventures in other worlds yet. Takeshi would probably run off at the mouth to his friends and tell them of his secret._

**Oh, well… Thanks for telling me the truth, daddy.** _Takeshi said, running off. Sora sat down on the couch, putting a hand on his forehead._

**Great, I just lied to a four year old…**

"Sora! SORA!!!! If you don't snap out of it, I swear I'm gonna knock you out!" Riku shouted out angrily, shouting in the man's ear. Sora shook his head, quickly snapping out of his daze.

"Huh? Sorry…" Sora said.

"You heard what the king said before you dazed out, right?" Riku asked.

"Uh, yeah, every word he said." Sora lied.

"Alright then, let's go. I've got the keys." Riku said to Sora, walking towards the Gummi ship. Sora gulped and then followed Riku towards the Gummi, confident. They had some business to take care of.

-------------------------

**Sora: That sort of explains why Sitoru attacked Manami and Takeshi... All he wants is to get back to Riku.**

**Riku: -Stares at the ground- Sitoru....**

**Sora: :(**


End file.
